Contents:
- GAY ROO DRAWS CROWD -- ENUMCLAW QUIET AS THE SENTIMENTS OF OPPOSN FIZZLE AT TIME OF EVENT
- GAY ROO DIVIS ENUMCLAW
- GAY BULL RIR BUCKS STEREOTYPE -- UPG ROO SPLS ENUMCLAW
- A SLEEPY TOWN WAK UP TO GAY ISSUE -- NATIVE SON'S REVELATN FUELS DEBATE AS ENUMCLAW FAC CONTROVERSIAL ROO
GAY ROO DRAWS CROWD -- ENUMCLAW QUIET AS THE SENTIMENTS OF OPPOSN FIZZLE AT TIME OF EVENT
But beyond the wboys, hors, untry mic and pasture aromas was somethg that set apart: It was a gay roo. "Cowboys and hors and steers don't f people's ual ncept of gay, " said Alexei Guren, who traveled om Portland for the event.
The state's first gay roo, which drew more than 2, 500 people and more than 100 petors durg s two days, was beg lled a succs by anizers, who predicted the event would return next year. Protters arrived Saturday afternoon for the openg of the roo, but they clud only a handful of muny members who said homosexualy was immoral and about a dozen animal-rights protters whose ncerns were foced on the treatment of the animals.
They shouted, "Y to gays, no to the roo. "This ntroversy stuff is not a big al as far as we're ncerned, " said Gary Shults, print of the Northwt Gay Roo Associatn and a petor. Martti, who liv Enumclaw and grew up here, helped spark a munywi discsn of homosexualy when June he wrote a letter to the town newspaper supportg the roo and disclosg his own homosexualy.
GAY ROO DIVIS ENUMCLAW
"It's not jt a gay issue. Steer-ridg petn wner David Smh of Burbank, Calif., said the crowd was more supportive than many he's enuntered at other gay roos natnwi. ENUMCLAW - The anizer of a gay roo at the Kg County Fairgrounds here says he's disappoted at opposn voiced by some town.
We're not there to threaten or va anyone, " said Robert Tylee, who has helped put the event together for the Northwt Gay Roo Associatn. 11-12 would help dismiss stereotyp about gays and brg people closer together.
GAY BULL RIR BUCKS STEREOTYPE -- UPG ROO SPLS ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw rint San Gura said she has heard of misnduct at the Gay Pri Para Washgton, D.
He said as a gay man, livg wh fear is a nstant. The 3-year-old Northwt Gay Roo Associatn is a chapter of the Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn, based Denver. He do much of his bull-ridg at roos which most of the petors are gay, but that don't occur to him while he's on the back of one of the ntankero animals.
A SLEEPY TOWN WAK UP TO GAY ISSUE -- NATIVE SON'S REVELATN FUELS DEBATE AS ENUMCLAW FAC CONTROVERSIAL ROO
He also views as a posive activy for gay people that helps chip away at stereotyp. "It shows that there are many typ of gay people, jt like there are many typ of straight people, " he said.